A Lot to Learn
by DrPraetorious
Summary: Jubilee has been through a lot, but her worst nightmare has come true. If she wants to be an XMan, she's going to have to prove herself to one man: Scott Summers, Cyclops.
1. Introductions

_**Author's Note: I would like to preface this story by acknowledging that I have no right to be starting a new story when I have two desperately in need of completion. However, this story won't leave me alone, so I had to start it.**_

**_For the sake of this story, Jubilee is about 14 years old and takes place around the time of X-Men #1 (2nd Series) when X-Factor rejoined the X-Men. This time slot is not completely set in stone, and the events within are not necessarily canonical. That means, it may not exactly fit with what has happened in the past or what has been stated will happen in the future. I'm just having fun, here._**

_**I would like to thank Closetfan for the inspiration of putting these two characters together. I hope you'll consider it a compliment and not a rip-off. I also hope there aren't any other stories out there already like this. I know it's a pretty basic idea, so the chances are pretty good. If any similarities exist, I promise they're entirely accidental.**_

**_I don't own the X-Men, Cyclops, Jubilee, or any other related characters. I'm not getting paid for writing this story. And now, without further ado:_**

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"I don't believe this," Jubilation Lee muttered to herself as she exited the elevator and stepped into the secondary sub-basement of the X-Men's headquarters, located far beneath Xavier's Institute of Higher Learning. She gave the edge of the yellow, leathery glove that ended just shy of her elbow a slight tug and pushed the sleeve of her identically colored and similarly styled jacket further up her bicep.

_I've been all over the world, in outer space, fought ninjas and freaky scary alien guys, and STILL they tell me I'm too inexperienced to join the X-Men. What a lotta bologna. And who do they stick me with?_ Jubilee asked herself as the door to the Danger Room whooshed open. _Scott Summers: The only person in history who was born a bitter old man._

Scott watched as the doors came open, his hands crossed on his chest. He tried to tell himself that it didn't matter that Jubilee was ten minutes late, that it was their first lesson together, and that she'd do better next time. The furled brow beneath her large sunglasses and the pouting of her lips told a different story. Judging by appearances, she didn't want to be there anymore than he did.

Her tiny frame was dwarfed by the gigantic doorway. Scott remembered the first time he'd stepped through those doors (though it was definitely a very different Danger Room back then) and how imposing it had been, and how utterly terrified he'd felt deep in his stomach. Jubilee, however, marched towards Scott with a "can we get this over with" expression and a determined gait.

Scott's dealings with Jubilee had been limited in the past. For the first time, he saw a glimpse of the "spirit" the others had been telling him about.

The gigantic room was empty except for the two figures. Jubilee's lip curled as she approached. Scott was in full "X-Man" costume, blue tights that exposed every muscular ripped (_yuck_) with yellow belts wrapped around him for seemingly no reason. (_ugh)_

Jubilee stopped a few feet in front of Cyclops and she tensed her comparatively small body. With a crisp salute, she said, "Jubilee, reporting for duty, sir." Her voice echoed throughout the stark room, and Jubilee had a hard time hearing herself. When Cyclops replied, though, his words were as clear as a bell.

"You're late."

He uncrossed his arms, and Jubilee saw for the first time that he was holding something in his hand. It looked like a large remote control and, from what Jubilee could see, it had a LOT of buttons. She stood on her toes, trying to watch what Cyclops was doing. After pressing what seemed like a bazillion buttons, he actually lifted the remote to his mouth and spoke softly. Jubilee couldn't be certain, but it sounded like he said, "Jubilee Training: Energy Based Beginner-Level One."

_Beginner?_ she thought. _Pfft. Jackass._ She stuck her tongue out, but quickly pulled it back in her mouth as Cyclops dropped the remote and his gaze fell on her. His eyes were hidden behind his big, yellow visor. Jubilee had no way of knowing if he'd seen her. He certainly didn't act like he did.

Around them, the room seemed to dissipate into bits and pieces, like snow on the TV when the cable's out, and then re-corporated, forming into park-like surroundings with trees and grass. The ceiling disappeared and was replaced by a clear, blue sky. A soft breeze carried seemingly fresh air and the sounds of birds singing. A winding sidewalk, (that Jubilee noticed was, somewhat unrealistically, lacking seams) was surrounded by brown colored targets, of varying heights and designs. Farther down the path, the targets, marked with white circle and a black "X", were moving. _Wow,_ she thought, though she purposely kept her surprise to herself.

"We both know why you're here," Cyclops said. Oddly, with the park illusion in place, his voice didn't echo at all. "Both Wolverine and Psylocke have spoken very highly of you and even recommended a place for you among the X-Men. The Professor, who values both of their opinions, has given ear but is concerned about your young age and your experience level with your mutant powers. He asked me to begin training you."

He turned and stepped off of the path, onto the grass. "I think you have the right to know that I think it's a bad idea."

This time, the gesture Jubilee made behind Cyclops' back was far ruder than a "raspberry," and she couldn't have cared less if he saw it.

"Why don't you just let Wolvie train me?" Jubilee said. "Me an' Logan have been through all kinds of stuff, and I'll bet my skates that he'd never have me 'paffin' at cardboard boxes."

"Professor Xavier asked me because we have similar, energy-based powers," Scott said. He didn't mention the rest: That both the Professor and he were concerned about the time Jubilee and Wolverine had already spent together. "And, believe it or not," he continued, "There ARE some things Wolverine can't teach you."

_Nuthin' YOU know, four eyes,_ Jubilee muttered to herself.

"Okay, let's get started," Scott said. "The exercise is fairly simple. I noticed that you failed to bring your roller-skates like I asked you."

"Whoops," Jubilee said softly.

"I'm glad I had the forethought to have Hank program a pair," Cyclops said. He pressed a button and a bench appeared with a pair of black rollerblades sitting on it. Scott gestured towards them and continued explaining the session. "You'll skate down this path and try to hit as many targets as you can, as quickly as you can."

Jubilee stepped off of the path and sat down on the bench, pulling her shoes off of her petite feet. "They're roller-_blades," _she corrected too softly for Scott to hear. "Sheesh."

She had to give it to Beast. The wheels were awesome. She had them laced in no time, and she made her way carefully through the grass and hopped onto the hard path. With her legs turned outwards, she made lazy circles. She had to smile. Blade-ing was always fun, even _if_ sourpuss was watching.

"I'll be timing you," Scott said. "Get ready…"

Jubilee spun out of her spiral, faced the track, dropped her sunglasses from the top of her head, and pushed them into place with her index finger. "Say when, chief."

"Go!" Cyclops yelled, pressing a button on the controller. He watched her with a definite lack of amusement as she lazily pressed forward. With a mocking, leisurely pace, Jubilee rolled her way down the path. As she passed each target, she flicked her finger, or snapped, or gestured, and each time a different colored plasmoid would flow, or zig-zag, or twirl its way until finally exploding with a burst of light in front of its target.

The closer she got to the end of the path, the more her posturing increased, until she was swinging her bottom, dancing to an unheard beat. With a flourish, she crossed her arms, flinging two 'paffs' simultaneously to hit two targets located parallel to each other on each side of the path. Jubilee hopped over the white finish line near the end of the path, twirled around, and raised her arms high into the sky. "Ta-daaa!" she declared.

She gulped audibly when she saw the expression on Cyclops' face. The red visor hiding his eyes seemed to glow eerily, and his lips were turned into a sour frown. "Heh, tough crowd," Jubilee said, shrugging her shoulders.

"How'd I do?" she asked. "Perfect score, right?"

"Wrong," Scott said, still scowling. "The point wasn't to see if you could hit the targets. I wanted to see if you could hit them while moving at a brisk speed, _and_ if you could take an order seriously. Unfortunately, I only got the answer to one of those questions. Do it again."

"This is so lame," Jubilee muttered as she slowly made her way back to the starting point, her arms swinging lazily by her side, and she shoulders hanging low.

"Please show some respect," Scott said. "I hate feeling like I'm wasting my time."

"My mate meeling mike mime masting my mime," Jubilee mocked under her breath.

Finally, she rolled into place.

"Since you're so obviously bored with the targets, how about we up the stakes a little," Scott said.

"Sweet," Jubilee smiled, rubbing her hands together. "Now we're talking."

Cyclops pushed some buttons and spoke into the remote again. This time, Jubilee could hear clearly: "Jubilee Training: Energy Based Intermediate-Level One."

_That's more like it,_ Jubilee thought. The targets and their brown supports disappeared, replaced by men of varying sizes, standing next to the path. They were dressed like a motorcycle gang, and they couldn't have seemed more out of place in the paradisaic surroundings. Each of them held a weapon of some sort—a chain, a bat, a pipe, the whole gamut.

Jubilee laced her fingers and bent them backwards, and Scott winced as he heard several joints crack. "Hide and watch, fearless leader, cause I'm about to show you how it's done! Blind and befuddled baddies, comin' up!"

Scott nodded as he observed the young girl's jaw tense. Her foot slowly turned, as if digging into the ground, waiting for his 'Go." _Finally,_ he thought, _she's taking this seriously._

"Be careful," he warned. "They _will_ start swinging once I activate the training."

A large, pink bubble formed out of Jubilee's mouth and then exploded. She skillfully pulled the gum into her mouth without any visible remains. "No problemo, Cyke, just hit the buzzer already."

Scott sighed and held his finger over the activation button. "Ready…" he said. "Go!"

This time, Jubilee's rollerblades clacked on the ground as she pumped her legs and swung her arms. With just a few steps, she was rocketing down the sidewalk. She flashed both hands as she met the first thug, whose face was covered with a thick, red beard. She deftly ducked the sweep of his bat and laughed as her fireworks exploded in his face and sent him reeling.

Watching with squinted eyes, the hint of a smile began to show on the edges of Scott's lips. The girl's laughter was certainly infectious, and he had to admit, yet again, that he was impressed. Her speed and agility were highly developed, and she avoided blow after potentially crushing blow, just as Logan had said she would. The girl was truly a marvel.

As she reached the end of the path, the smile fell from Scott's lips. _Don't lose focus,_ he thought. _Pay attention._

Jubilee was in her glory. The air was in her hair, and the goons were dropping like flies. "Told you, Scotty" she cried out. "It's as easy as pie!" Her laughter again rose above the sound of her rollerblades, slicing down the course. She approached the final two thugs, standing next to each other. She noticed one of them was larger than the other, but wasn't too concerned. He wasn't even holding a weapon. Mirroring her motions before, she crossed her arms and sent two blobs of energy at the men. The man on the left threw his chain across the sidewalk, trying to trip her up. "Ha!" she yelled, as she jumped, grabbing her skates behind her.

Suddenly, though, she was snatched from mid-air, a massive hand clawing into her shirt and scratching across her sternum. He pulled Jubilee close to his face, and she cried out, suddenly recognizing the face underneath the cowboy hat. "S-s-Sabretooth!" she shouted. His white eyes squinted with delight and he smiled, showing a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth.

Jubilee's hands tore at Sabretooth's, and fireworks flew around them, exploding with brilliance that had even Jubilee closing her eyes. Sabretooth brought his arm across his eyes, crying out with pain, but his grip held tight. Jubilee kicked him in the shin as hard as she could, but she might as well have been kicking a wall. Victor Creed laughed, and Jubilee gasped as he drew back a clawed hand. "Nice knowin' ya!" he said in his deep, gravelly voice.

Jubilee closed her eyes tight as the claws rushed forward, ready to punch right through her face.

"Freeze," she heard Scott's voice say.

Jubilee opened her eyes to see two clawed fingers frozen inches from her eyes.

"Delete caricature: Sabretooth."

The hologram holding her disappeared, and Jubilee fell onto the ground. Her knees buckled beneath her, and she sat, her legs crumpled under her, and tried to catch her breath.

Scott walked quickly to her side. "Are you okay," he said, his voice calm and controlled.

"What d'you mean, am I okay?" Jubilee yelled, turning on him suddenly, her eyes dulled by dampness. "You sunuvva… You did that on purpose!"

"It was part of the program," Cyclops explained, keeping his voice even. "You weren't paying attention."

"You almost got me killed!" she said. She pulled her legs out from under her, not caring that she scraped her bare knees on the ground. She frantically started tugging at the laces on the boots. "And you did it on purpose! You wanted to scare me so I'd quit." She wiped her nose. "I can't believe this. You wait until I tell Wolvie. I thought you were supposed to be the nice guy?" She threw the second shoe free from her foot and onto the grass. She looked up at Scott, red-faced, embarrassed and angry.

"I thought you wanted to be an X-Man," Scott said, his face an empty page.

"Shove it," Jubilee said, and she leapt from the ground, stopping only to pick up her shoes, and stomped out of the Danger Room.

Scott Summers didn'tturn around until he heard the door close behind her.

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**_So that's the first chapter... No, it's not over. So how'd I do? I hope you liked it. I hope I didn't suck too much, writing for Jubilee. This is my first time using her in a story. Thanks for reading!_**


	2. Perspectives

The next morning, Jubilation was startled awake by the roaring exhaust of a motorcycle. She immediately recognized the sound and knew that it wasn't just any motorcycle, it was Logan's Harley. She threw back her covers and stuck her nose to the massive window that overlooked her bed. Jubilee's room faced the front of the Institute and, standing on her knees on the soft mattress, she could see the driveway that spun around the fountain and stretched to the huge front gates.

Below her, directly in front of the main doors, Jubilee saw the man she was looking for. Logan was straddling his bike, a plume of cigar smoke above his dark hair. Just seeing him, in his brown leather jacket and jeans, looking so serious all of the time, made Jubilee smile. She patted her hand against the glass, and Wolverine looked up at her.

Jubilation waved excitedly. It was hard to see clearly, but it didn't look like Wolverine's expression changed. If anything, his frown seemed to deepen. His thick eyebrows covered his eyes. He took the cigar out of his mouth and started speaking to someone. With the stogie in his hand, Jubilee thought she saw him motion towards her window. Someone stepped forward and looked up. Bright red sunglasses betrayed his identity instantaneously. _Stupid Summers,_ she thought. Still smarting from the results of yesterday's "training," Jubilee flashed Cyclops her tongue yet again.

Scott Summers was wearing his jogging clothes. He'd happened by, finished with his morning exercise, when Logan had been pulling his motorcycle out of the garage towards his single bag of belongings, lying on the concrete near the front steps.

"Leaving so soon?" Scott asked his… Well, he wasn't sure what Wolverine was to him. Teammate, at least. Their relationship had always relied more on mutual respect than any kind of admiration or fondness.

"What's it to ya, One-Eye?" Logan had responded.

"You just got here," Scott said. "And you still haven't fully recovered. There's something wrong with your healing factor, and nobody, not even you, knows what. I think it might be a good idea for you to stay here, rest up a bit, and let Hank run a few more tests. There's a good chance he could help."

"Yeah," Logan said, chewing on his cigar, "There probably is." He paused, inhaled deeply, blew a cloud of noxious smoke into the sky, and cranked the ignition on his bike. Scott frowned at the smell and the ruckus the motorcycle caused.

Scott watched as Logan's attention shifted quickly. He was staring at something high on the face of the Institute. Cyclops saw the older man's face darken with doubt. "Listen," Logan said. "I got my reasons for leavin'. You don't see me cryin' or whinin' for help. I've been through worse."

Scott stepped forward a few steps closer to Wolverine and raised his eyes to the area he'd been looking at. From behind large, red lenses, he saw Jubilee's relatively tiny, excited face in the huge window turn into a scowl. Scott pursed his lips in frustration when the young girl's bright pink tongue flashed at him through the antique glass tempered with hard polymers.

He turned and faced Wolverine. "She won't understand," Scott said. "You should at least tell her goodbye."

Logan placed a cowboy hat on his head and maneuvered his arms through his bag's shoulder straps. "She's a tough kid. Smart, too." He placed his cigar back into his mouth. "She'll be fine. She knows I'll be back."

"Does she?" Scott said, squinting in anger. "She's infatuated with you, Logan. You're her hero, and from what I understand you two have been inseperable since the moment she dragged you off of that burning crucifix."

Logan raised his eyes and gazed at the small frame watching curiously from the window. "Where I'm goin', what I'm goin' to do, no kid needs to see. She'll be safer here."

"Tell her that," Scott pleaded, suddenly struck by the irony that he was giving emotional advice. How far he'd come since the days he couldn't stand to look at Jean for fear he'd blow her away by accident with one of his optic blasts. _Or maybe,_ he thought, _it's just easier when it's somebody else who needs to show some consideration._ Scott's voice grew stern, and even cracked slightly. "You're going to hurt her."

Logan's eyes shifted to Scott's, and Scott saw the dangerous intensity just behind the man's exterior. Wolverine's lip trembled, fighting a snarl.

_Leave it to Logan to resist any order, no matter how well-intentioned_, Scott thought to himself.

"Ain't neither one of us good at goodbyes," Logan said. He revved the Harley's engine, and lifted his feet onto the rests. "Try and keep her out of trouble 'till I get back."

With that, Logan chomped onto his cigar and kicked the motorcycle into gear. With the loud screaming of exhaust, Scott watched as the lone figure disappeared through the slowly opening black, metal gates.

Jubilee watched as the two men talked, debating whether she would rather watch him leave or risk running down to say goodbye and missing it entirely. In the end, she knew she wouldn't make it, so she was forced to try and read Logan's lips, an impossibility from this distance, through the frosted glass, even if Jubilee knew how to.

When Logan raised his eyes to look at her a second time, there was something in his expression that sent a chill down her spine. "Oh, no," she said aloud. "He's leaving!" From the anger in his stance, his face, his eyes, there was no mistaking he didn't want to go. Cyclops was making him leave! Jubilee pounded on the window. "No!" she said. "You stuck up, no good, poor excuse of a man!" She started pulling at the base of the window, but it was a futile gesture. The windows weren't designed to open. Her fingers sparkled, and she seriously considered blowing out a pane or two, but held back, too afraid of the consequences.

Wolverine revved the engine and, before Jubilee knew it, he was gone. "NO!" she shouted.

Below her, on the cold concrete, Scott Summers turned and, for just an instant, looked up and saw the pain and surprise in young Jubilation's face. Pained, he quickly stepped towards the door, out of the teenager's view. He pulled back the heavy wooden door, and disappeared into the mansion. Once out of sight, he took off his sweaty shirt and threw it onto the stained wood floor with a slap.

Jubilee saw Cyclops look at her before he walked away like a coward. His face was completely emotionless, and it fueled Jubilee's anger even more. "What's wrong with you, you bastard!" she shouted at him as he meandered out of view. "I hate you, Scott Summers!"

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**_I am really proud of this chapter. I hope everyone was able to follow it. Thanks for all the kind words on Chapter 1._** **_I just had a very valid question asked, and though I sent a reply to it, I figured I would share my answer with everyone interested in reading it (as it's possibly a common question)._**

**_Question: Why was Sabretooth ina training session for Jubilee?_**

**_Answer: Okay, bear with me here. This is how I justified Sabs appearance in my mind... _**

**_If you'll notice, Scott skipped directly from Beginner Level one, to Intermediate Level one, so there were actually several sessions of training intended to come before Jubilee ever wound up with the Intermediate training in which Sabretooth appeared._**

**_Secondly, Jubilee's goal wasn't to defeat Sabretooth, she was simply supposed to hit him with a paff and make it past him to the finish line. Because Jubilee failed to pay attention to the potential dangers of her target, though, she was unprepared and, hence, caught off guard and captured._**

**_Scott Summers doesn't mess around when he trains.He wanted her to learn something about the possibilities of the unexpected when he designedthe missionfor her. I hope that makes sense._**

**_Thanks again for reading._**


	3. Nature of the Man

Later that day, Jubilee stood outside the Danger Room with a substantial frown on her face. She looked at her watch for the twentieth time since arriving in the hallway and, finally, the minute hand was past the "3." She was officially fifteen minutes late. With a wicked smile, she stepped towards the door which whooshed open as she approached.

_This loser is gonna regret the day he messed with me and my friends,_ Jubilee swore to herself.

Cyclops was standing in the center of a full-sized, dirty-looking boxing ring. The ring was illuminated from above, and the rest of the room was pitch black. Even the floor beneath Jubilee's feet as she walked towards the ring was completely black. It was more than a little disorienting, almost as if she were walking through space towards a ring suspended in nothing.

_Well,_ she thought,_ I guess this explains the stupid outfit he left for me._

Cyclops was wearing a white undershirt tucked into a ratty-looking pair of khaki pants, help up by an old brown leather belt. Instead of his visor, he wore his sunglasses. Despite himself, he almost looked _normal._

Scott stifled the smile that threatened at his lips. Jubilee approached the ring in her oversized, shiny blue boxing shorts and white tank top. The look on her face was even angrier and meaner than the last time they'd met in the Danger Room.

"Oh, come on," Scott said. "The shorts aren't that bad."

"I look ridiculous," Jubilee spat.

"You look like a boxer," Scott replied, trying to ignore the ferocity in the young girl's voice. "That's the point." He offered his hand to help Jubilee up into the ring, but Jubilee ignored it and climbed up under the ropes by herself. Dropping his hand, Scott said, Thanks for coming."

"I don't think I had much choice, though I think we both know you wouldn't have sent me to 'juvie.'"

Scott frowned. He hated that he had threatened to send the girl to a juvenile detention center, but if she couldn't be rehabilitated, if she wasn't willing to work towards becoming a better person, the young thief would have to pay for her crimes. That was just the way it worked.

"I guess we'll never know now, will we?" he said. Getting down to business, Scott walked over to one of the corners, where a small stool held the equipment he needed. As he prepared, he spoke. "We established during your last lesson that you have an adequate amount of accuracy with your fireworks," he explained. "However, it would seem you are slightly less prepared when it comes to physical altercations."

Scott tossed a pair of gloves, lightly padded on the knuckles, but with the ends of the fingers loose. "Put those on," he said. "Today, I'm going to teach you how to throw a punch."

Jubilee sighed loudly. _I can't believe this guy,_ she thought. "I _know_ how to punch." She slipped the gloves on, pulling the straps tight around her wrists, and flexed her fingers. She had to admit, the gloves felt kinda cool.

"Oh really?" Cyclops said. "Then show me."

"Bend a little closer, and I will."

Scott chuckled. "I can't let you have too much fun. It would spoil my reputation."

"No kidding," she muttered. Jubilee watched as he slid his hands into two flat pads, like the kind she'd seen in boxing movies.

"We'll start by hitting these," Cyclops said. He held up the pads. "Give me your best shot."

A mischievous smile spread on Jubilee's face beneath her ever-present shades. She raised her fists and thumbed her nose while she sniffed. _Like they do in the movies._ Her feet, in white shoes and socks pulled up almost to the bottoms of her shorts, began dancing and stepping beneath her.

Scott watched her carefully. Many of the movements she made, either mockingly or instinctively, were correct, but there was much untrained and unpolished in the way she moved. _At least,_ he thought, _she knows enough to keep her thumb out of the way when she makes a fist._

"Any day now," Scott said, stiffening his arms slightly in preparedness.

Jubilee looked up at her "teacher," at those red, unseeing lenses that smart-alec Scott Summers looked down and judged the world through and decided that nobody else was as good as him. Everything about him, from the way he was holding his mouth to the slight stubble on his chin sent a fiery rage through Jubilee's body. Her jaw fixed and her lip jutted, and she stepped forward, swinging her fist as hard as she could towards Cyclops' outstretched hand.

When glove met pad, a loud smacking sound echoed throughout the room. Scott skillfully allowed some give in his elbow, surprised at the tenacity and fire behind the blow.

His brow furled. _There was more behind that punch than irritation at having to train, even with me._ Putting the thought behind him, he continued with the training. "Good," he said, still frowning. "Don't hold back. But let me show you something." He stuck one hand under his arm and pulled off the pad. He took Jubilee's hand. She stiffened visibly, bristling under his touch.

Scott let go, startled once again. "When you hit," he said, trying to stay professional but finding his curiosity and pride extremely difficult to fight. "Use these two knuckles." He pointed to the knuckles on her pointer and middle finger. Sliding the pad back on his hand, he said, "Try it again."

Jubilee obediently raised her hands. "Keep your chin low," Scott instructed. "There you go."

When she walloped Scott's hand again, he felt the sting through his mitt. "Good, good," he said.

Jubilee had to admit she was enjoying punching Scott as hard as she could, even if it was just his hand. _Who knows?_ she thought. _Maybe, once I get the hang of it, I just might move up to his face._

The exercise continued, with Scott further refining her movements. Jubilee had to admit she could tell the difference. With each blow, she could feel her punches were more focused and, hence, powerful. Ignoring the burning in her shoulders and biceps, she continued to rain blow after blow on Scott's hands. He taught her to step forwards while she punched, to watch and wait for an opening, to switch targets.

Sweat dripped down her face and onto the pad of the ring. She was fueled by her hatred. Every time she got tired and wanted to quit, she saw Summers standing there, watching Logan leaving, and then looking up to her, like he was _rubbing it in her face._ She accented the thought by laying a particularly powerful punch on Scott's left hand.

"Good!" Scott said. "Harder!"

Jubilee clenched her teeth and pounded her knuckles into the slippery material. Breathing heavily, spit and sweat spurted from her snarled lips.

"Again!" Scott shouted.

With her left this time, Jubilee's shoulder shook and her teeth clacked as her body was racked with the impact.

"Focus!"

Again she punched. Her eyes closed. She heard Logan's engine start.

"Again!"

Logan's eyes dropped from hers, were they angry or sad?

"Harder!"

He pulled away, wearing his pack on his shoulders. The bag that meant he wasn't coming back today.

"Again!"

He disappeared, and the only thing left was Cyclops, staring at her, laughing at her.

"I!" Jubilee said as she swung wildly with all her might.

"HATE!" She punched again. She felt the cheeks on her face shudder.

"YOU!"

Jubilee's eyes shot open as pain shot up her arm, into her spine, and her whole body was shaken with the impact as her fist slammed, not into a soft pad before a giving elbow, but into Scott Summer's ungiving palm, holding her hand tight.

Scott had thrown the pad onto the ring and caught her fist in the time it had taken her to throw her next punch and stopped her punch dead in midair. Jubilee gulped, her eyes large and shaking.

"Owie," she said.

"Why did you say that?" Scott asked. His voice was even and controlled, but there was a real anger, a real danger, just behind it.

"I-" Jubilee replied, embarrassed and feeling genuinely frightened. "I don't know."

"Yes, you do," Scott said.

Jubilee tried to pull her hand free from Scott's. He didn't tighten his grip, but he held her fast.

"Let go of me, you freak!" Jubilee said, trying to turn the heat away from her. "Rape!" she yelled, pulling her arm and adding her other arm to the effort. She even kicked him in the shin.

Scott winced, and his grip tightened around her hand, but just barely.

"Jubilation," he said, his voice low. He sounded almost exactly like her dad had, when she'd disappointed him and it dawned on her that Scott wasn't mad. He was hurt. Jubilee felt her exterior crack.

"I, uh, I just…" she muttered. She had just started to apologize when she realized she had nothing to apologize for. _He_ was the one who should be apologizing. "Oh, no you don't!" she cried. "You think I don't know what you did this morning, but I do!"

"This morning?" Scott said.

"Yeah, I was watching the whole thing. You made Wolvie leave!"

Scott's eyes widened in surprise. "What?" he said.

"Yeah, you _made_ him. I saw that look in your eyes. I just can't figure out why…" Jubilee continued, her voice angry and frenzied. "Was that trashy redhead of yours giving him googly eyes and you couldn't stand the competition? Or do you just hate knowing that you'll never be half the man he is?"

Scott released Jubilee's hand, and she pulled it to her chest, rubbing her sore knuckles.

"Jubilee, I…"

"Yeah, not so full o' yourself now, are you?" she said. "Jerk!" Coughing up as much saliva as she could, she hocked onto Scott's shoes and turned for the door. "Go screw yourself. I'm outta here."

A powerful hand gripped her tiny arm and held her in place. "Jubilee," Scott said. "I didn't make Wolverine leave."

"And why should I believe that?" she said. Plasmoids started circling her hands as she turned to face Scott once again.

"I don't think I have anyway to prove it," he said. "I had just finished jogging when I came up on him leaving. I asked him to stay. I told him Henry might be able to find a way to help his healing factor. I told him he needed to say goodbye…" Scott released his grip on Jubilee's arm. "… To you."

Jubilee couldn't see Scott's eyes, but she looked deep into the lenses, squinting as she examined every line on his face. She replayed every inflection in his voice. Jubilee knew every trick in the book when it came to lying, and she could spot a liar out of the gate. Despite her words, she knew he was telling the truth. "You're lying."

There was pain in her voice. Scott heard it, and it broke his heart. _I told you, Logan,_ he thought.

Scott raised his arms, paused, and then finally was able to place them on Jubilee's shoulders. _Such small shoulders,_ Scott thought, _to bear so much._ He knelt in front of her. "I'm sorry, Jubilee," he said softly.

Jubilee's bottom lip began to tremble. _OH, no_! she told herself. _You're not going to do this to me. Not in front of him. In front of anybody but him!_ But the emotions were set in motion, and Jubilee couldn't hold them back. With an explosive sob, tears fell down little Jubilee's cheeks.

"But why?" she said. "Why would he leave? Why wouldn't he tell me where he was going?"

Scott looked at her through sad eyes. She was just a little girl, and it was all so unfair. _Logan should have to explain. He should be the one to have to watch her cry, _he told himself. _'Ask him when he gets back,' I should say._ Scott sighed. He'd practically made a career out of taking on the responsibilities that Logan refused to, cleaning up the mess that the man left in his wake without concern of consequences. Today wouldn't be any different.

Squeezing her shoulders softly, Scott tried to sound as reassuring as he could. This wasn't really his area of expertise… He tried to find the words. "Logan…" he stopped. Tilted his head while he thought for a moment.

"Logan what?" Jubilee asked, wiping her nose. "God, why am I wasting my time?" She went to turn, but Scott held her in her place.

"Logan is like a wolf," he blurted.

"What?"

"He's like a wolf. You know what a wolf is, right?"

"Duh! Yeah, I know what a wolf is. Geez."

"Well, most of the times, wolves run in packs. They hunt together, play together, breed… You know. They're like families. They depend on each other."

He looked into Jubilee's eyes. She wasn't buying it.

"But sometimes," Scott continued. "There are wolves that come and go. They'll join a pack, a family, for a while and then, for seeming no reason at all, they go out on their own, to fend for themselves. After a while, when he's done whatever he needed to do, he'll come back to the pack and live with the family again."

"That's how Logan has always been since he joined the X-Men, since I've known him. He stays with us here, and he's one of us, a part of the family, and then, for seemingly no reason, he'll take off on his own. Nobody asks why. And then, when you least expect it, when you think there's no hope, he'll show up and save the day. Nobody asks where he's been or what he did. He's just part of the family again. That's just Logan. He's a lone wolf."

The pair sat in silence for a minute. Scott shook his head slightly, proud of his comparison and wondering where he'd pulled it out of. Jubilee was simply trying to put her head around what he'd said.

"So he'll be back?" she said eventually.

"Eventually. I don't know when."

"You promise?" Jubilee asked, showing a rare sign of dependence.

"I couldn't stop him if I wanted," Scott said with a smile. Two arms wrapped around his neck and toppled him backwards. After the shock wore off, a genuine laugh escaped his lips.

"Thanks, Mr. Summers," Jubilee said.

Before Scott could respond, Jubilee's arms were gone and she was climbing out of the ring. "I'm gettin' outta these dumb shorts!" she cried over her shoulder. "They're startin' to chafe!"

Scott watched her go and shook his head when the door closed behind her. "I wonder if Rachel was ever like that," he said aloud as he pushed himself to his feet.

------------------

**_Author's note: I thank you yet again for the comments. You're really too kind. Just to let you know, the issue with Logan's healing factor is simply an ongoing problem with Wolverine during the time that this story is to have taken place. It's origin and the resolution of that problem aren't going to be dealt with in this story. So how was this chapter? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Is the story worth continuing with? Thanks for reading!_**


	4. Shameless, Really

Jubilee once again shook her head in disbelief as she looked herself over in the mirror next to the lockers. For three months now, she'd been meeting with Cyclops, training with him, and every time he'd have dreamt up some strange setting for their session, focusing on a different aspect of her "development." She had to admit, it made it a little easier to get involved, once she got past the ridiculousness of it all. _Heck,_ she thought, _he's even got me showing up on time._ She tugged the bottom of the black wraparound shirt, belted at her midsection, over a black shirt and stared at the matching black trousers. _But this,_ she thought, _this is just a crime. Black is **so not **my color._

Sighing heavily, she once again stepped through the doors leading into the Danger Room. Her first instinct was to gasp in awe, but then she rolled her eyes and snarled. "You have _got_ to be kidding me," she said aloud.

Stark metal floor stretched out before her, leading to wide stairs, illuminated by white glowing markings. The stairs led to a large, black seat that was turned away from her. The throne faced a circular bay of windows, divided into an interesting pattern. The windows, in turn, faced into the darkness of space. Jubilee stepped through the door, which promptly closed behind her, and then turned around. The doorway she'd stepped through appeared to be an elevator, flanked on both sides by guards wearing armor and flowing cloths of bright scarlet. Turning as she walked, she had to be impressed at the size and detail of her surroundings, even if it was the biggest geek-wank that ever existed.

Jubilee was no nerd, but even she knew the Emperor's throne room set from the conclusion of Return of the Jedi when she saw it.

Her footfalls sounded and echoed on the grey floor and machinery thrummed around her and beneath her. Chancing a glance out of one of the side windows, she saw a recreation of the space battle, star destroyers and rebel battleships facing each other, surrounded by clouds of fighters and laser fire. Even Jubilee had to smile. Somebody had spent a _lot_ of time on this stupid program.

A hiss snapped Jubilee to attention, and her expression turned serious as the throne slowly began to turn. Sprawled out on the throne was a man in a black cloak, his face hidden in shadow. "I see you've arrived, my young apprentice," came a very familiar voice doing his best to sound menacing. He failed in every respect.

"Geez, Cyke," Jubilee said, sticking out her hip and resting her fist there. "This is the nerdiest thing I've ever seen in my life."

Cyclops leaned forward. He couldn't hide the smirk on his face. The Star Wars Danger Room program was by far one of the most popular among the X-Men. Though many of them had been in space in person, fought battles very similar to Luke Skywalker's and Han Solo's, there was still something magical about climbing into the magical scenes of the movies that inspired the adventure in many of the young X-Men's hearts.

"Just go with it, Jubilee," Scott said in his Cyclops voice. "That's an order."

Jubilation could hear the smile on Cyclops' face and realized that he was really digging this computer simulation. She reluctantly told herself to keep her more biting comments to herself and let Mr. Summers have his fun. "You could have at least let me dress up like the Princess chick," Jubilee said loud enough for her voice to carry over all the sounds and the distance that separated them.

"Oh yeah?" Scott said. "Which outfit?"

Jubilee bunched her face, trying to remember what she'd seen of the movies. One outfit in particular came to mind, and the young mutant's face flushed with embarrassment. "Good point," she said. "Thanks."

"Your welcome." Cyclops replied. "Anyway, it wouldn't have worked. Leia wasn't in this scene."

"Oh," Jubilee said, rolling her eyes. "Right. I forgot."

Scott rose from the throne and walked down the steps, his stiff back and quick steps decidedly out of place in the Emperor's cloak. From beneath the folds of the black cloth, he produced a very familiar looking device.

"Oh, hey, cool! It's one of those sword-thingys!"

"Lightsaber," Scott corrected.

"Whatever."

"Lately, you've been practicing with various types of weapons. Today, you're going to show me what you've learned, not only in the last couple of weeks, but throughout your entire training session with me by combining your fighting skills with your mutant powers." Scott's face spread into a half-grin. "Consider this a graduation of sorts."

Jubilee couldn't help but smile, excited at the prospect of 'graduating,' and never having to be put through this endless training again. Her stomach sank, though, when the full meaning of the day's events might mean. _What if I fail?_ she asked herself. _Or what if I don't? Will I be an X-Man?_

Cyclops pressed a button on the lightsaber and the green blade supposedly made of light leapt out of the handle, humming softly.

Jubilee gulped. _Am I going to survive that long?_

"The blade is entirely safe," Scott explained. As a demonstration, he passed his hand back and forth through the green light and then held it up, wiggling his fingers. "See? Nothing." He then dipped the blade and touched the tip of the sword to the metal floor. Immediately, the metal began to glow and the lightsaber burned through. "The environment, though, has been programmed to react 'realistically' to the weapon."

He pushed the button and the blade retracted. Turning the handle in the palm of his hand, he offered the weapon to Jubilee. She gladly took it and immediately activated the blade. She giggled in delight as the lightsaber hummed and sparked as she whipped it through the air around her. In almost no time, she was swinging the blade through Scott's midsection and through his neck. He stood like a statue as the light passed harmlessly through him, and Jubilee's laughter only got louder.

"Of course," he said, "if you cut your own head off, the exercise is definitely over."

Jubilee continued swinging the weapon, adding her own sound effects to the ones supplied by the Danger Room through pursed lips. She stopped, though, when Cyclops turned his back and started walking back towards the throne room.

"Hey," she said. "Aren't you going to fight me? Or something?"

"Not me," Scott said. He raised his arm, hidden in massive sleeves, and pointed. "Him."

Jubilee turned and gasped audibly when a figure stepped from the shadows and a familiar sound of mechanized breathing filled the room.

Her momentary surprise was soon shattered and replaced with raucous laughter. This "Darth Vader" walked hunched over, with three-fingered hands gloved in black leather jutting from beneath his dark cape. Flitting under the dark cloth, too, was something that could only be a prehensile tail.

"Ach, liebchen," came James Earl Jones' voice through the monstrous mask, "You've cut me already."

It was Scott's turn to roll his eyes as the extremely dramatic Nightcrawler clutched his chest and moaned and groaned and stumbled across the floor as if he'd been mortally wounded… in a bad Western.

Jubilee clutched her stomach as she doubled over with laughter. "You look like an idiot!"

Kurt played dumb, grabbing the edges of his cape and looking back and forth, trying to mime that he was hurt by Jubilee's cruel fashion critiques. "You don't like it?" he said. He chuckled, an odd sound coming from "Darth Vader," and threw up his hands in defeat. "I must admit, I was always more a fan of Sinbad and Robin Hood than Luke Skywalker and Captain Kirk, but when Herr Summers offered a chance to cross blades with the infamous Jubilation Lee, well, never let it be said that the swashbuckling Nightcrawler backed away from a fight! No matter how ridiculous the costume!"

Jubilee's giggles continued, and Scott decided it was time to rein in the clowns. "Okay, that's enough you two, let's get down to business," he said. Kurt quickly obeyed, used to listening to Scott's voice with almost blind obedience. It had saved his life many times before. Jubilee took a bit longer but soon followed Nightcrawler's example.

Scott sat down on the throne and pulled the hood of his cloak back over his face, though his feigned seriousness sent a suppressed giggle bursting forth from Jubilee's nose. Lowering his voice, Scott spoke. "Begin."

_**Author's note:**_

_**I don't own Star Wars or any related characters, items, concepts, or anything else I might be sued for using.**_

_**Sorry for the short chapter. Figured it was better than nothing.**_


	5. This Sucks

Turning to face Jubilee, Kurt stretched his back and stood tall. Holding his lightsaber in one hand, true to his character, he ignited the blade and spread his feet into a fighting stance. "You don't know the powerrr of the dark side," Kurt said and then chuckled.

Jubilee pressed the button on her sword and raised it. She squinted her eyes and pursed her lips, trying her best to look serious. _C'mon,_ she told herself, _this is it. You ace this, and you're in._

Raising the blade over her head, she slashed down and stepped forward simultaneously. Kurt turned his blade and raised his arm, deflecting the blow easily. When the red and green lightsabers met, there was a flash of light and a loud crashing. As she'd been taught, Jubilee drew the blade around and struck again. Once again, the blades met and fizzed and sparked in complaint.

"Good, good," Scott said as he watched Jubilee's stance and movements.

Kurt threw his arm forward, pressing Jubilee's blade back and followed up with a quick (albeit easily blocked) succession of attacks. Scott watched her face as she winced. A slight panic came into her eyes. _No,_ he thought. _Watch him, not the sword._

A hint of sweat was starting to form on Jubilee's forehead. She could feel herself slipping. _Ease up!_ she wanted to scream, but she bit her lip and persevered. Taking a wild chance, she stepped forward, cutting off Nightcrawler's advance and suddenly throwing him on the offensive. Without letting go of her lightsaber, globules of light flowed from between her fingers and started floating around the pair.

The swirling blades seemed to disappear as the room was suddenly filled with colorful, blinding explosion, with Jubilee and Nightcrawler right in the center.

Scott squinted through the bright lights, trying to follow the action. Even though his eyes were largely protected behind his visor, he could barely make out their dark shapes in the wall of light created by a seemingly endless stream of explosions of light. Buzzing and crackling and grunts filled the spacious room. The cacophony was so overwhelming, Scott almost didn't hear the soft "bamf" of rushing air filling the void left by Nightcrawler.

The light show continued for just a second longer. Slowly, Scott's eyes adjusted to the relative darkness, only to see Jubilee standing alone, her lightsaber dropped in front of her and a frustrated look on her face.

"What gives?" she said. "Where'd he go?"

Scott, too, raised his eyes, searching the corners and planks of the elaborate replication. He knew the act was futile, though. Kurt was always conscious of his surroundings, almost innately. It was one of his strongest gifts as a fighter. He was undoubtedly somewhere where he could see Scott and Jubilee as plain as day, and yet he was miraculously invisible to their searching.

Scott smiled at Jubilee and shrugged. "I guess you're just going to have to find him."

"Aww, c'mon!" Jubilee exclaimed. "That's not fair!"

"As opposed to your little lightshow…"

"Alright, alright, I'm lookin', I'm lookin'."

With the blade of the sword dropped in front of her, Jubilee plodded down the staircase to the left of the "Emperor's" throne. About three steps down, she started swinging the blade aimlessly, cutting through the handrails like they were butter and leaving smoldering remains in her wake. Scott simply shook his head and stepped forward so he could watch her as she descended.

"Don't see why I gotta chase after him," Jubilee muttered to herself. "Call me crazy, but I think he should be the one comin' after me." She swung the blade hard in frustration. She miscalculated the blade's trajectory, and it cut right through the tips of the stairs in front of her and sent a large chunk of metal falling to the ground. She froze, a shocked expression on her face. "Sorry," she called out without turning around. Cyclops didn't say anything, so she just kept climbing down the stairs, though she pushed the button on the side of the lightsaber that closed down the blade.

When she reached the bottom of the steps, she stopped and looked around, squinting into the shadows. "Come out, come out wherever you are," she said. There were all kinds of pillars and columns that seemed to serve no purpose except to create a myriad hiding places. Her shoulders drooped and she sighed heavily as her suddenly lead feet dropped to the floor. "C'mon, Kurt, let's get this over…"

Before she could finish the sentence, she was interrupted by a loud battle cry from behind. She screamed and spun on her heel. Kurt's face was sticking out of the shadows. He'd removed the helmet, but he was still in costume. It was a very strange sight, seeing Darth Vader crouched on the side of a pillar. His red blade sprang to life, casting a strange shadow on his dark face and yellow eyes.

Jubilee chuckled, delighted by Kurt's flare for the dramatic. "Bring it!" she cried up to Nightcrawler, igniting her own lightsaber.

"As you wish," he said. He vaulted off of the column with a massive leap. He spun in the air. Jubilee watched him enviously as he sailed over her head. She bit her lip determinedly and spun, sword extended. _No way he's gonna get me from behind!_ she thought.

Jubilee felt the hilt in her hands jump as the blade connected with something, and then cut right through it. There was a sickening sound and smell of burning, and Jubilee's scream of terror reverberated through the Danger Room as Kurt's body fell to the ground, unseeing eyes frozen in shock. Jubilee dropped the lightsaber in her hands. Her head started swimming, filled with noise and static, and her open palms slapped her forehead as her eyes locked into the sight before her. The blade had cut him in two, right below his rib cage. His upper torso lay across his legs. She wanted to look away, she wanted to throw up, but she couldn't do either. _No,_ she thought. _This can't be real. This can't be…_ She kept repeating it over and over in her mind, trancelike. She was unaware of how much time passed or if anything was said until she felt a large hand on her arm, pressing her to the side.

She turned, wide-eyed, as Cyclops pushed past her, bent over the body. His face was red, flushed, and his lips were pursed, but she couldn't decide what his expression meant. Was he angry? Of course he was! Why was he mad? It wasn't her fault! _This isn't real! It's not really happening! He said it was fake! That it wouldn't hurt him!_

He pressed his fingers to Kurt's neck, checking for a pulse.

"Oh, my God," Jubilee whispered. "Omigod, omigod, omigod. Is he dead?"

Scott's head bent forward. All she could see was the back of his head, as it shook from side to side almost imperceptibly. He leaned forward over the body, hands shaking, and slowly pressed the lids of Kurt's eyes closed.

"No!" Jubilee shrieked at the top of her lungs. "No, no no!"

She slapped Cyclops in the back. "You said it wasn't real! You said it couldn't hurt him! I saw! The blade went right through you!"

She pushed his back with both hands. He lurched forward slightly, but he only wiped his mouth and sighed heavily. He stood and turned slowly, dropping the cloak from his shoulders. His face was redder now, and harder, as if his flesh had been replaced with stone. He raised his arm and his hand landed on Jubilee's shoulder. His touch felt like cold needles prickling Jubilee's skin.

"It was an accident," he said. "It wasn't your fault."

"No!" she shrieked louder than before. She jerked free of Scott's hand and fell to her knees, completely drained of everything. Tears began flowing freely down her face, and her chest convulsed as she started crying. Crying harder than she could ever remember crying.

"I didn't mean to," she said. She was only barely aware of her hands pressing hard onto the cold ground, moving back and forth. "He can't be dead… It was an accident."

Jubilee jumped as a warm hand touched her on the face, a fuzzy hand. Her eyes dropped to see a blue, three-fingered, warm fuzzy hand. She looked up, shock on her face, to see Kurt's face, a slight smile on his face, but his cheeks was just as wet as hers, darkened by the tracks of his tears.

"It's okay, liebchen," he said warmly. "I'm okay."

Jubilee sprang from the ground and wrapped her arms tightly around the startled mutant's neck. "You stupid dork," she said, sniffing back her tears. Kurt's curly hair tickled her neck and he patted her back gently.

Suddenly, Jubilee's eyes shot open, and the full realization of what had just transpired struck home. "Hey!" she said, pushing Kurt away. "You tricked me! You jerk!"

She bent and grabbed the handle of the lightsaber and tossed it at Kurt. He brought his hands to his head, and the holographic piece of metal clanked as it bounced off his arm and fell to the floor. Kurt's face was washed in pain. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I'm sorry."

The towering frame of Scott Summers stepped between them. Like the both of them, he was wearing black, but his outfit seemed to be almost a bodysuit, so that his head seemed to float above a shadow in the darkness of the room. His tanned skin, unruly hair, and the bright red glare of his ruby quartz gaze seemed to be hanging on nothing. "Stop it," Cyclops said. He spoke softly, but it was most decidedly a command. "Kurt is not to blame. He was simply following orders. This was all my idea."

"Why am I not surprised?" Jubilee shouted. "Of course it was! Just when I was starting to think you were an okay guy, you have to go and remind me what a dick-head you are!"

"This was part of your training," Scott said, still not raising his voice. "Being an X-Man is not a game. Your actions have consequences. The slightest loss of control can cause untold damage and pain, not only to your opponents, but to civilians, even friends." His voice was growing soft.

"Look, Jubilee, several of our training sequences have ended with you storming off, angry at me. That's okay. You can do that again today. I don't care how you feel about me. You can hate me as much as you want, but you won't be out there," he pointed towards the wall, "in the field, in the real world, facing the monsters we have to deal with on a daily basis. Not when you're not ready to face the harsh truths." His voice grew harder now. "Now while you're still too immature to take orders or to take anything seriously."

He dropped his hand. "Not on my watch," he said. There was real conviction in his voice and deep, deep down, almost completely hidden from perception, a break—a hint of pain.

Scott turned for the door. He hated himself for what he'd just done. Goodness knows what Jubilee had seen or experienced in her life before joining the X-Men, or even witnessed while she was trekking around the globe with Wolverine. His brow furled as he imagined the disembowelings she was bound to have been privy to. But he had broken the girl's confidence and, perhaps, destroyed the shred of trust that had developed between them.

_It had to be done,_ he told himself. _Better that she learn here, in the Danger Room, than out there, where everything can't be fixed by the touch of a button. Better that she learn the pain of losing someone you love to this war now, while there's still a chance for her to choose whether this is the life she wants or not._

As the doors parted and he exited into the hall, he pressed a button and then threw the remote control from his hand. It bounced off of the wall and landed unharmed on the floor. Behind him, the Danger Room transformed into the plain grey walls that marked it was off.

"It's better this way," he muttered to himself, as the doors closed behind him.

Jubilee watched him leave with anger seething from her skin. "God, I hate him," she said aloud. She ripped the black gloves from her hand and slammed them onto the now brightly lit, stark metal floor. She balled her fists and let out a grunt of frustration and anger through bared teeth. "Nothing is worth this," she said, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "You guys can kiss my butt. I'm outta here."

She pulled the black overshirt off and dropped it to the floor. "See ya, Kurt. Thanks a lot," she added, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Glad to know you're a friend I can trust…"

She looked at him, with his head bowed, clearly ashamed by his actions. It was unnatural to see him look so sad. She almost gave in and apologized, but her anger flared as the image of his dead body flashed through her memory. _How could he? How dare he try to make me feel guilty!_

"It's your decision to make," Kurt said, his voice low and choked. He swallowed.

"You bet it is!" Jubilee said, and she started for the door. _I can't get outta this madhouse quick enough. I'll find Wolvie. When I tell him what that jackass Scott did to me, he'll rip his colon out and feed it to him inch by inch._

"He didn't have to do this," Kurt said behind her.

She stopped. "Well, you'll excuuuuse me if I don't fall all over myself thanking him," she said. "Psh." She resumed her march for the exit when a familiar sound behind her marked Kurt's exit. _Sure,_ she thought,_ just leave. That's what everybody else does._

But Nightcrawler reappeared directly in front of her, holding out his hands. Jubilee's nose curled at the smell of sulfur. "Get outta my way, you freak!" she exclaimed, and she tried to push him aside with her arm and move around him.

A strong hand gripped her wrist. "Professor Xavier said the decision was Scott's," Kurt said softly. "I don't know what he told you, but Charles made it perfectly clear to all of us, including Wolverine, that on the field, the team is Scott's and he would not endanger you or any of us by placing someone inexperienced on the roster. If Scott had wanted to, he could have sent you straight to the dorms for the students, where you'd be learning with the rest of the children your age. Or sent you to an orphanage. He could have done so at any point during your training."

"Before you pass judgement, before you start saying things you might regret later, I suggest you think about that."

Jubilee stared at the German mutant from underneath an angry brow. His words seeped past slowly, and she looked at the door that Scott had exited through.

"Scott Summers is a very difficult man to understand," Kurt said. "We've all had our disagreements with him. But his shoulders carry a weight neither you nor I can understand. Leading a team is not easy, my child, and Scott Summers is the best there is."

"I hope you change your mind, mein freund. I will miss you if you go. Just don't forget that Scott, and myself, too… We were only trying to help."

He released her wrist and patted her on the shoulder. "Goodbye, Jubilation."

With another rush of smoke and the stench of sulfur, Nightcrawler disappeared and left Jubilee to her thoughts. The silence was almost painful, and Jubilee's mind was racing. She put her head to her brow. All of the conflicting thoughts and emotions were giving her a headache. Her legs collapsed under her, and she sat on the floor, unsure of what to believe. She continued focusing on the large doors of the Danger Room and everything that walking through them could represent.

Her hands dropped to her lap and she cried because she didn't know what else to do.

"This sucks," she said.


	6. The Final Lesson

The hangar was bathed in darkness. Jubilee searched the wall next to the door, but couldn't find a light switch at all. Her lips twisted in annoyance. _**That's** not impractical,_ she thought to herself. For a moment, she was tempted to turn her back and follow her gut. It told her to count her blessings for getting out of this nuthouse while she could. It told her she didn't have to come crawling like a sissy on her knees, begging for forgiveness. It told her that she hadn't done anything wrong, and that Scott Summers was a prick with bad hair and streak marks in his yellow undies.

Her gut could be a real bitch sometimes.

Sighing loudly, she stepped into the darkness, heading towards the spotlights on the far side of the huge room, shining down on the X-Men's jet, the Blackbird. Her shoes made light scuffing noises as her tiny legs stepped over wires, tools, and equipment of various sizes. The sound of an air impact wrench shattered the silence, sounding like a volley of gunfire. Jubilee, surprised by the suddenness and volume of the racket, screamed and grabbed her ears. Her shout, however, was lost in the echoing of the ruckus, and she was immediately embarrassed for having screamed in the first place.

With real determination now, she quickly made her way towards the Blackbird and the man she knew to be working under it. He _had_ to be. She'd looked everywhere else, and asked just about every person in the mansion she knew. The journey through the hangar grew easier as she neared the bright lights. She gritted her teeth as another burst of highly compressed air was released by the impact wrench.

Finally, stepping over a small welder, she arrived in the circle of light and relative clutter-free area beneath the Blackbird's wingspan. Jubilee looked around, stretching her neck, her hands clasped behind her back. Her irritation at the noise was replaced with the butterflies of nervousness. "Hello?" she said timidly, but the wrench started up again just as she had started forming the word.

"Jeez!" she exclaimed. She held her ears and waited for the whine to die down. "Hey!" she yelled. "Anybody here?"

She walked around the underbelly of the jet, and found nothing except some tools spread around and a couple of cords leading to the top of the plane. "Hello!" she shouted, now directing her voice upwards. Still, her only answer was another deafening sequence of high-pitched squealing and a rapid-fire firing.

"That's it," she muttered. She grabbed her pink shades from her hair and dropped them over her eyes, leaned back, and shot a dozen high-powered fireworks towards the ceiling, igniting them all around the jet in a most impressive, and blinding, show of light.

The loud tool suddenly whined to a stop, accompanied by a man's voice as he cried out. She could hear something that sounded like footsteps, or maybe something rolling, across the top of the blackbird, and then she saw a tall, muscular man with brown hair and bright red sunglasses fall from the wing of the jet and land on the ground with a thud.

"Oh, shit," Jubilee said, both gloved hands going to her mouth, and her eyes wide as saucers. "I killed him."

She rushed over to him, yelling, "Cyke? Can you hear me? Mr. Summers!"

When she reached his side, she could hear him groaning. He slowly pushed himself from his side onto his back. For a moment, she stood back, holding her hands close to her chest, afraid that he would be seriously hurt. Or seriously pissed. She spotted some orange headphones laying a few feet from his head and her stomach sank. _Oh, great._

"Mr. Summers," she finally braved when he started rubbing his forehead. "Are you okay?"

The man was silent for a beat, and then finally sat up, leaning on his elbow. "I'm fine, Jubilee. You scared me and my foot slipped. That's all." He tried to rise, but he winced and grabbed his back. "Hchmmm," he said.

"Oh, no," Jubilee said worriedly. She took his arm and tried to help him. "What's wrong? Ah, jeez, did you get hurt? I'm sorry, Mr. Summers, I'm so sorry."

Cyclops raised his hand and stifled the young girl's concerns. "I'm _fine,_" he said. He certainly didn't _feel_ fine, but he could tell nothing was broken. He was just going to have one heckuva bruise on his lower back and shoulder tomorrow and some painful stiffness in his bones. Thankfully, the back of the wings of the Blackbird weren't too far from the ground, and he had had time to go limp before he hit the ground. Otherwise, he could have been seriously injured.

"I was just trying to get your attention," Jubilee continued. "I tried yelling and I guess you couldn't hear me."

"It's okay, Jubilee. It's not your fault. What do you need?"

"I- Well, I was just…" Jubilee stammered, dropping her hands from the man's bicep and stepping back. All of the determination she'd felt earlier melted away before Cyclops' red stare. _I'm beginning to think my gut was right all along,_ she told herself.

"Nevermind," she said. She heard several bones crack as the tall man rolled to his knees and then started pushing himself up to his feet. "It's nothing. I'm sorry I bothered you."

A pained laugh escaped Scott's lips. "Jubilee," he said. "I don't think you would have came all the way out here over nothing."

"Well, uhh, yeah, I…" Jubilee kicked the ground. "What are you up to?" she asked.

Scott stood tall and bent his back backwards, stretching it. "I _was_ tightening the bolts on the wings," he said.

"Oh, yeah? Were they loose?"

"Not really," he replied. "No."

He could see the question in her eyes, and she even snarled her nose a bit, so Scott decided to spare her the confusion. "I come in here, sometimes, when I need to be alone. It helps me to clear my mind, working with my hands, putting something together, seeing something accomplished…" Scott's voice trailed and he sent Jubilee a sidelong glance and immediately regretted it. He started walking back towards the lift situated near the Blackbird's wing. "The bolts work loose sometimes," he said. "It never hurts to be safe."

"That's cool," Jubilee said, her head slightly bowed. She stepped after him when he turned around the lift and started lowering the platform. "Hey," she said over the whirring mechanics. "Can I help?"

Scott released the lever and looked at Jubilee, frowning. How did he tell her that he had come to the garage to try and get her out of his head? To quit worrying that he had done the wrong thing?

Jubilee swallowed hard as she looked up at Cyclops, who looked none too pleased with her surprising question. Even she was surprised. She didn't know the first thing about working on a jet. And something told her she was the last person he was looking to hang out with at the moment. From what she had observed, Scott Summers wasn't exactly the "hanging out" kind of guy.

"Sure," Scott said finally. "Grab those headphones and there should be some safety glasses in the tool box over there," he said, pointing.

Jubilee grabbed the orange gear and then followed Cyclops' finger towards a big red toolbox. Sure enough, there was some plastic goggles laying on top of everything. She took off her shades and laid them down and placed the huge clear glasses in their place. "Every time," she muttered. "I gotta look like a dweeb _every _time."

"Shut up, Jubilee," she mumbled to herself. "You just almost killed the guy."

She jogged over to him and arrived just as the platform touched down. They both climbed on and then Cyclops started raising them off the ground. "Be careful up here," he said. "Watch your step, and don't fall off."

Jubilee's shoulders raised and her head drooped. She looked up, to apologize yet again to see Cyclops looking at her, an almost invisible grin on her almost perpetually frowning face. "Hey!" she said, slapping his arm.

"Ow," he said.

"Oops. Sorry."

The platform jerked to a stop, and Scott opened the little gate and hopped onto the plane, trusting Jubilee to follow. He'd put her through the ropes, all the weeks that they'd trained together. He was fully confident that there wasn't anything on the top of the Blackbird she couldn't handle. In fact, he had a feeling she could probably do everything he knew how to do if he showed it to her once.

He stepped carefully over the plates of armor, bolted onto the jet's frame, towards the air impact wrench still laying where he'd dropped it. He picked up the rather long tool, holding it by the handle, careful not to touch the trigger, and checked all of its settings, until he was confident nothing had been knocked out of place. Jubilee approached from behind.

"Is that what you were using?" she asked. "What is it?"

"It's an impact wrench."

"How does it work? I mean, is it like a drill?"

"Yes," Scott said, looking at the young girl. "Sort of. You use it to tighten nuts or bolts _really_ tight. Inside this cylinder," he said, tapping the large part near the end, is a hammer and something like an anvil. When you start tightening a bolt, and there's resistance, then the hammer spins and then hits the anvil, which tightens the bolt a little bit. Imagine that at about two-thousand rotations per minute, and you've got the idea."

"Of course," Scott said, hefting the tool, "this is no ordinary impact wrench. Everything Hank or Forge works with has to be specially designed and built." He pointed to a knob on the side which even Jubilee could tell was turned pretty low. "This thing could probably replace the motor on a passenger plane." He smiled and handed the tool to her. "Here," he said. "I'm going to show you how to use it."

Jubilee grunted as the tool, which was as long as her arm, was suddenly thrust at her. She held it cradled in her arms like a log with an expression somewhere between fear and irritance. "Mr. Summers, I don't think I…"

"It's Scott," he said. "We're not in the Danger Room, and I think you can. You'll just have to hold it tightly and be careful. Here," he said. "You hold it there, and there." He guided her hands to the proper places. "There you go. Now give the trigger a squeeze. Oh, wait…"

He picked up the headphones from the black metal and slid them onto her head. "Okay, now!" he said, loud enough for her to hear him, and he moved behind her, watching her carefully to make sure she didn't let go or hold it wrong.

Jubilee's palms were sweating like crazy. Her finger shook over the trigger, unsure whether or not she really wanted to do this. Finally, she started pressing it. Just… barely… She closed her eyes tightly. The trigger slid in, but nothing happened. She opened her eyes, and held it up. "Is it on?" she said, speaking louder than she probably intended.

"Just keep squeezing!" Scott shouted. "Be careful!"

She tightened her grip and again started squeezing the trigger. She again closed her eyes. "Okay," she said, "But I don't think it's woAAAAAHHHH! She screamed as the trigger suddenly clicked and power thrummed in her hands, shaking and sounding loudly, even through the headphones. Her cry turned to laughter as she released the trigger and turned to face Scott.

"That was wild!" she yelled. She pulled the headphones from her head, shaking her hair out of her face. "Show me how to tighten a bolt!" she said.

Okay, Scott said smiling. He took the wrench from her and positioned himself over a bolt he hadn't yet tightened. He was about to show her how to properly insert the bolt and explain how to know when to release the trigger when he heard Jubilee softly clear her throat.

"Uh, Mr. Summers?" she said.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Jubilee," Scott replied. "I told you, I'm fine."

"No," she said, shaking her head, suddenly very serious, her eyes shimmering. "I'm sorry I let you down. In the Danger Room earlier."

Scott lowered the tool. His face mirrored her seriousness. He said nothing.

"Kurt told me what you did for me… That you never had to give me a chance."

Cyclops watched as young Jubilee raised her eyes to his. She jutted her chin, finally unafraid to speak, determined to be heard. He found himself cheering her on, like he'd done so many times before during their training sessions.

"I wanted to say thank you for doing that for me, for spending all of that time with me, and for putting up with all of my tantrums, and for all of the times I called you," she coughed, "and Miss Grey" she said through a cough, "bad names and stuff."

"You never gave up on me," she said. Scott saw her eyes glaze over. "And you never left." She cleared her throat. "You taught me all kinds of stuff," she said. "But mostly, you taught me that I had a lot to learn."

A single tear fell down her cheek. Scott felt his heart rip.

"I thought you were being mean. Now I know you were just doin' what you thought you had to. And so I'm sorry. I'm sorry I let you down. Now, I know, I'll never…" she coughed to hide a sob. "I know I don't have the stuff to be an X-Man."

She wiped her nose on her glove and stepped back. "But thanks for givin' me a shot, okay?"

She turned, ready to run and never look back, to cry and never stop. To finally put the X-Men, Wolverine, and Cyclops and all of the craziness out of her life forever.

"Jubilee!" Cyclops shouted behind her. "Jubilee, wait!"

Boots clanked on the metal behind her. She couldn't hold it in anymore. She began sobbing loudly. She turned, sniffing. There, standing in front of her in his greasy overalls and ridiculously bright red sunglasses, five o'clock shadow on his tanned, rough face and set jaw, was Cyclops, not Scott Summers. In front of him, his hand was outstretched.

"What?" Jubilee said. "What do you want?" She pulled the safety glasses from her face. "Oh, right," she said. "I'm sorry. I forgot." She put them on Scott's hand, but he didn't take them.

Finally, he grabbed the glasses and dropped them onto the Blackbird, and then took her wrist and lifted her hand into his own, where he squeezed it and shook it up and down slowly. "Jubilee," he said.

She looked up at him, confusion drying the tears from her eyes.

"Welcome to the team," he said.

"Do you mean it?" she said. "You're not just sayin' that cause I'm crying are you?"

"You just showed a tremendous amount of courage and a strong sense of responsibility," he said. "You showed me that you most definitely have what it takes to be an X-Man." He shook her hand again. "So I'll repeat, 'Welcome to the team, Jubilee.'"

Once again, she launched herself at Scott Summers, shrieking with joy, and she wrapped her arms around his chest. He held her tightly, patting her back softly, hoping she didn't notice the tear that ran down his face. For a short, wonderful moment, their shared laughter filled the empty hangar.


End file.
